Stop and Listen
by Higura Natume
Summary: He promised me that he would keep me safe. He promised me I'd be okay. He promised me that he'd get me out of here eventually. The last promise was the only one he really kept. Suika
1. Chapter 1

"Karin, drop the act." Sasuke's voice sounded tired.

"What do you mean?" I sounded innocent, but my mind already feared the worst.

"...You don't really love me, do you?" His voice didn't sound of any resentment, not one bit. But the worst has come.

"You figured it out." I said dumbly. "I guess now that you figured it out," I faked a smile, "I'll have to tell you why I pretend to love you."

* * *

"Hurry up Karin!" Father called after me.

"But I'm _tired_!" I complained. We'd been walking for more than six hours and I was only five years old.

"We're almost there." He promised. I didn't mention that he'd been saying that for the past five hours.

After about another hour, there finally started to be signs of Konoha, the place we were headed. "Just a little more." My Father promised, not that I was listening at this point.

Even so, when we finally got there, I was a tiny bit excited. I had always wanted to see the Konoha village, the village everyone called the best.

To be honest, I was sort of disappointed when I got there. The city was kind of shabby with all the buildings so worn they looked like they would fall over any second. You'd seriously think a 'powerful' city like Konoha would try to at least _look _good.

My Father walked through the streets with me but he didn't look disappointed, actually, he looked fascinated.

"What a beautiful city." He said.

Excuse me? Was he _blind_? This place was a dump. I was hoping that the people would be brilliant, at least.

Suddenly, everyone moved off to the side on the street. My Father followed, sensing something was wrong. I trailed his movements, but tried to stay in front of him so I could see what was going on.

A boy, not much older than me, walked through the crowed, parting instantly a few meters before him. He had a face that showed he was having just about a good of a day as the buildings. He stalked through the streets and I watched him partly of fascination and partly of boredom.

"Did you see him?" Some girls about my age whispered near me.

"Yeah! You're right, he is cute!" Her friend replied.

"I know." She sighed a dramatic sigh. "Poor Sasuke, why should such a tragedy befall on such a pretty face, I shall never understand." She put her arm up to her face like she was going to faint.

"The Uchiha ordeal was tragic." Her friend agreed.

"Either way, those dark eyes were about to suck me in."

I listened quietly. So that boy was what girls of strong cities like Konoha liked. So _he _must've been what the girls meant when they said "cute" or "handsome" or "attractive."

And that was the first time I fell in love. Although now I realize I had fallen in love with the word "handsome," and not the boy himself, I didn't realize. I stared after him, my eyes alight with the same shallow adoration.

"Father, who's he?" I asked, tugging his shirt.

"That's Uchiha Sasuke." My Father replied. "His family was recently massacred by his older brother Itachi. Can't really blame him for acting like that." He sighed. "Let's get moving Karin."

Finally, after walking through the village, he stopped in front of a bridge. His face showed some signs of nervousness and tension, but I decided not to ask.

"Karin, you stay right here, okay?" I nodded. "Daddy'll be right back, as soon as he finishes his business here." He patted me on the head, which he knew I hated. "Be a good girl alright?"

"Okay." I replied. And so he left, over the bridge and into the forest. I sat on the side of the bridge with the meal my Father had left me just in case. I hugged my legs tighter as the night closed in and everything got colder. Soon, I dosed off.

The light filtering into my eyes woke me up the next morning. I jerked awake when I came into consciousness but Father hadn't returned yet. I ate my small meal and waited for days. Days soon turned into weeks though. By the time anyone noticed me, I was a mess.

On the second day, I saw Sasuke again. My heart lept out of happiness and I started to grin like an idiot. He looked up at me.

"What are you doing here?" His words held some bitterness but I paid it no mind.

"Waiting for my Father."

"Where'd he go?"

"That way." I pointed toward the forest.

He snorted. "He's not coming back."

"Why do you say so?" Now anger started to creep into my voice.

"Because no one ever has."

"What makes you think my Father won't be the first?" I said definatly.

"Because your Father is a nobody." Sasuke sneered. That's when I snapped.

"You know, I figured out why your family died!" I shouted at him. "It must've been because the Uchihas couldn't bear to be alive knowing that they shared the same blood as a rude, jerk like yourself!" The words had come out before I could stop them. When I had realized what I had said, I covered my mouth in shock.

He didn't look angry though, just dejected. "You're a smart one, aren't you?"

Those words hurt more than him yelling at me. But before I could say anything, he was gone. I waited and waited, and started to wonder if Sasuke had been right about my Father.

But after a couple of weeks, a man merged out of the forest. I jumped up, glad to see Father, but it wasn't him.

The man had ice cold eyes that seemed to assess everyone as if they were prey. His long black hair was pulled back to show his pale skin. He perfectly embodied a snake.

"Hello child, my name is Orochimaru." He smiled slowly, sending shivers up Karin's spine. "Your Father has benefited me so much, I have decided to take you in." He put out his hand and I reluctantly shook it.

"So I'll be able to see Father?" I asked, but he just smiled. I followed him anyway, knowing I didn't really have a choice.

Before I knew it, we were in a dark room. I shivered, the room was significantly colder than the outside. There, we were met by a pale man with gray hair tied in a ponytail. He pushed up his glasses often as he spoke.

"Orochimaru-sama, is she the son of..."

"Yes." Orochimaru cut him off. "Kabuto, send for one of our students to accompany her."

"As you wish." He almost whispered, before leaving.

"What's your name child?" Orochimaru asked as soon as Kabuto was gone.

"Ka-Karin." I replied.

"Alright, Karin. From now on, you're going to live here as one of my students. Another student of ours will take you to your room and training will start tomorrow." He said this while his cold eyes bored into me. I couldn't look away, but I desperately wanted to.

But I was spared from saying anything because Kabuto returned with my escort.

"Suigetsu was free." Kabuto explained and Orochimaru nodded.

"Suigetsu, take Karin to her room please. And make her feel..." He paused, licking his lips, "welcome."

Before I could physically respond to that statement, Suigetsu grabbed my arm and took me out of the room. We walked silently for a while, his hand still holding mine. Once we reached my room, he let go.

"What's your name?" He turned around and I finally got a look of his face. He couldn't have been more different from Sasuke. Suigetsu had light bluish hair with eyes that, instead of looking wounded and dejected, had the cool aloofness of a predator. His teeth were sharp, adding to the predatorial look and he was tall and muscular. Yet, he didn't move with the grace of a predator. But even so, my heart started to speed up when I saw him.

"Karin." I responded hesitantly, worried he might not like the name.

"Hm." He made no comment on my name, to my relief. "So, why are you here?"

"My Father left and something happened. Orochimaru said that he wanted me to come here." I realized I didn't know much about what had happened.

"Your Father's dead." He said it with a flatness that astonished me.

"How do you know?" I challenged.

"Because I've been here since I was five. I'm the _student_ who's been here the longest. I know the tradition of this place like the back of my hand. Orochimaru killed your Father, probably for disobedience and is going to try to use you to fill up the spot he left."

"No..." I said, not believing it.

"Yes." He said with such confidence, I had to believe.

"What do I do?" I asked, shaking.

He shrugged. "There's nothing much you can do. But my motivation has been to live. That maybe if I live long enough, I'll outlive Orochimaru and be released." But he said this with no hope.

I nodded. It sounded reasonable.

"Thank you." I walked into my small room. It was a plain room with one matress on the floor and a desk. Dirty and plain... _wonderful_.

"Can you sleep on your own?" He asked.

My first instinct was of course, but when I thought about it, I didn't like the idea of sleeping alone in this small room at all.

"I can stay if you want." He continued.

"Why?" This was against everything I had known.

He shrugged. "When I first came here, I was so scared, I didn't sleep at all. Just thought you might not want to go through all that."

"I... I would like that." I finally managed.

"...If you're thinking this is weird, get used to it." He said, scaring him with his intuition. "We aren't living in a normal world. We don't have common sense or diginity to guide us. Those things are useless here. Most of the time anyway." He settled himself down by the door.

"Okay." I said as I lay down on the hard matress. We lay there quietly for a while, but I got curious. "Suigetsu, why are you here?" I asked. I knew he wasn't sleeping.

With his eyes closed, he sighed. " I came here because of my family. They were in such deep debt with Orochimaru that they had to send one of their kids to make up for it. I was their youngest so they decided to give me away. One less mouth to feed." He joked, but I could tell it was a cover-up.

I was silent, and he seemed content with it.

"...What am I doing tomorrow?"

"Training."

"Specifiy please." I ordered, slightly irritated.

"Basically, Orochimaru set up this test to try to find any abilities of his students. You know, puts you in life or death situations to get your powers working."

"Life or death?" I asked, scared.

"Well, honestly, if your ability is an offensive one, you'll probably get out okay."

"And if you're not?"

"Depending on your ability, you could get hurt more."

"What happened to you?"

"I was an offensive type so I got out okay."

"I'm scared." I blurted out.

"I am too." He said, as if it was okay.

"You are?"

"Everyday."

"Are you ever going to escape?" I asked, begging for even a little hope.

He sighed again. "Tell you what, if I do, I promise to take you with me."

* * *

It was funny to think, that in a way, he had kept that promise.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up the next morning to find Suigetsu still there.

"You stayed all night?"

"I said I would, didn't I?" He asked.

I nodded. "But I'm fine now, so you can go." He didn't seem to believe me, but he shrugged and left.

I changed into some clothes in the dresser, a uniform I guess and stepped out, wondering what I'm supposed to do. After a few minutes Suigetsu walked over in a new set of clothes. "The training yard is that way." He pointed in the direction he started to walk off in. I followed.

We walked in silence, me close behind him. I was scared about what would happen. What if I died? Or fell into insanity?

We got to the training fields all too soon.

"I'm going to watch." Suigetsu said before going over to a nearby tree to watch me. We were outside in a field with bushes and trees to hide in. Hopefully, I wouldn't need to.

Orochimaru stood in the center. Although there was no way I wanted to be anywhere near him, I bit my lip and obliged. Letting myself stand near him.

"The rules are simple," No greeting. "Stay alive." No matter how simple, this scared me.

Orochimaru stepped back and disappeared. I was glad for only a moment before a shuriken flew past my face and cut me. I put my hand on the cut, feeling the blood.

I saw another one come and ducked, it hit a tree behind me. I was freaking out, I would never get through this alive.

"Huh?" I widened my eyes when a scent drifted to my nose. Some specific scent from... that direction. I thought, turning my head toward my attacker.

'There!' I thought and threw a shuriken that was given to me at the figure. He was caught by surprise and it hit him on his arm.

"Dammit..." He muttered before rebounding and taking out his weapon. A long sword which he pointed at me. I stepped back, knowing it was over. I threw another shuriken, but he skillfully blocked it.

Then, he started to spin the sword so fast, the blade started to blur. He muttered the technique name so quietly, I couldn't hear it. _Zzzzzz!_ Lightning shot past meat an alarming rate.

'I should run.' I repeated it over and over in my mind, but my feet wouldn't move.

"Karin!" The last thing I heard before a blinding light entered my eyes. 'Suigetsu?' I thought. I closed my eyes in pain, covering them with my hands.

I felt a new scent come up in front of me, like water. I heard some sounds of explosions, before Orochimaru's voice entered.

"Enough." With that one word, everything stopped. I tried to open my eyes, but when I did, everything was blurry. No matter how many times I blinked, the sight wouldn't change.

"Karin?" A blurry figure stepped in front of me. I felt Suigetsu's hand touch my cheek. Gently.

"Suigetsu?" I asked. "I can't see well..." I waved my hand in front of my face but only saw a blur.

"Karin, your eyesight..." I heard him say.

"So... her eyesight is damaged, huh? Well that'll be easy to fix." Orochimaru said. "Hey, get some glasses for her, huh?"

"Yes sir."

"But, I assume that you have the power of detecting people's scents... or should I say their chakra." He sounded amused. "I think we'll let you live." He laughed a little.

Suigetsu's touch on me stiffened.

"Here sir." Orochimaru was handed my glasses, which he gently placed on the bridge of my nose.

"Wow..." At once my eyesight had returned to normal.

"Can you see okay?" Orochimaru asked with no concern whatsoever.

"Yes." I said.

"Okay, Karin, go back to your room. Suigetsu and I have to talk." He smiled before taking Suigetsu away with him. I felt worried, but figured Suigetsu would be okay, and left.

* * *

It was a couple days before I saw Suigetsu. It was in the middle of the night, the moon shone beautifully and I could see fireflies dotting the scene ever so often.

"Karin...?" I heard Suigetsu's voice.

"Yes?" I asked, reaching for my glasses on the bedside table and putting them on.

"Can you step outside?" He was standing outside my door, and his expression was so sad, that I hurried over. I touched his arm.

"Suigetsu, are you okay?"

"Fine." But there was a tension in his voice that worried me.

"Suigetsu..."

"Karin." He said it firmly and pushed me away. Then, he pulled something out of his pocket. "I'm sorry." I saw his tears shine in the moonlight, but my attention quickly went over to the shining object coming out of his pocket.

"Suigetsu... Stop." I pleaded as I saw the blade of a knife.

Sharp and Beautiful.

I knew this was the end.

I closed my eyes tightly and put my hands up in defense, with no weapons or attack abilities, I had no chance with him.

_SLAP!_

I opened my eyes, shocked to see Suigetsu on the floor, unconscious from hitting his head against the wall. In front of me, Orochimaru stood, picking me up and hugging me against his cold chest. The coolness felt good against my face.

"Poor girl, I'm sure that was scary." He said in a soothing voice.

_Why did he save me?_

_Had I misjudged him?_

Or more importantly, _Why did Suigetsu try to kill me?_

The questions swirled around my head, mixing together into a blur.

"Are you okay?" Orochimaru looked at me. Even when he was being nice, I realized, his eyes were still cold.

"I'm fine." I pushed that observation away, and injected as much gratitude as I could into that statement.

Orochimaru-sama had saved me.

Suigetsu had betrayed me.

It was as simple as that.

* * *

_Because darkness does not always equate to evil, as light does not always equate to good.

* * *

_

"...After that, I devoted myself to Orochimaru-sama to make up for him saving me, and never talked to Suigetsu again. I figured Orochimaru-sama would make sure of it." I looked up at Sasuke. His expression hadn't changed much, not that I had expected it to.

"But when you came with Suigetsu, that's when I realized I was still in love with him." I sighed. "That's why I did my best to make a point of my obsession for you. We already had sort of a past, so I decided I could use it for my advantage."

"I am seldom taken advantage of." Sasuke admitted. But your affections is something I don't care about so I let it slide."

"...Thank you." I said and hugged him tight, my tears making his clothes wet.

"Hm... I am the last person who deserves gratitude." Sasuke replied with a voice full of bitterness.

* * *

Okay, this is Karin's side of the story. Now I just have to figure out a realistic way to get Karin to listen to Suigetsu's side.

and Hopefully it will all workout!

Suika forever!


	3. Chapter 3

"But Karin, you should... talk to Suigetsu." Sasuke said after a pause.

"Why!? There's nothing left to be said. He tried to KILL me! It's bad enough that I have to work with him!" I yelled.

"Karin!" Sasuke stopped my arms, which I had been beating against him. "I'm telling you to, because I never did." He looked me in the eyes. "I killed my older brother, who had given up his whole future for me, because I was blind with rage. If I had known about Danzo and the others earlier, there would've been no regrets."

"...Okay." I said, realizing Sasuke was right. "I'll try."

* * *

It was a couple days before I finally could even look Suigetsu in the face again.

"Karin?" Suigetsu asked when I looked away. "Have you finally gotten jealous of my hot looks?" He joked. I raged over how he could so easily joke after trying to kill me, but kept it down this time.

"Suigetsu..." My voice was getting shaky.

He stopped.

"What?"

"Why did you..." I swallowed. "Why? Why, Suigetsu? Why?" My eyes got wet as I earnestly looked at him. We were alone, since Juugo and Sasuke had gone on a mission. For what, I hadn't heard.

"Karin..." He tried to touch my face but moved back.

"Why did it have to be like this? Why do I have to love someone who wants my head? Why did everything end up being so messed up."

"Karin... Stop." Suigetsu said in the gentle voice I had remembered from his childhood. "I'm sorry-"

"Stop apologizing!" I yelled.

"Karin!" He shouted back. "Would you please just stop and listen? All you ever do is think about how you feel, how everything sucks for _you._ How about everyone else in the world?"

I was silent, because he was right. I never thought about anyone, except myself, and at one point, Orochimaru. But even that, was for my own benefit.

"Karin, when you left from that 'test' Orochimaru ordered me to kill you. Said that attachments are never good for us so young. It was 'unhealthy' and should be stopped before it was too late." He looked up, tears lining his eyes. "Or he would kill you himself."

"What?"

"Orochimaru said, attachments weren't good for ninjas, and since overall, I would be more useful in the long run, so to destroy the attachment, I would have to kill you. And if I wouldn't, he would do terrible things to you, before having you killed. I-I was so scared." His voice cracked. "He gave me three days to get ready, and I tried to think of ways to escape, but I couldn't."

He reached over and took my hands.

"Karin, please. You have no idea how glad I was when Orochimaru knocked me against the wall and saved you." He squeezed my hands. "The sacrifice of letting you live, was having you hate me forever."

"Suigetsu..." New tears started to flow again.

Cleaner tears.

Tears of happiness.

"I'm so sorry!" I cried and he hugged me tight.

"Shh... it's okay." He whispered into my ear.

And for now, that was enough.

Being in his arms.

Holding him tight.

It was enough to be like this forever.

* * *

And that's the end. I hope it's something similar to this, because Suika is one of the best couples ever.

and of course, Orochimaru is the bad guy again. I wish I could've involved Kabuto more, but that's okay.

As for who Sasuke truly loves, I won't comment so you can have your own ideas ;)


End file.
